Grateful Dead

Jack Straw may have been from Wichita but the Grateful Dead only played there once and what a show it was! Whether the band knew they would only have one shot to show the "Doo-dah" city what they were all about, we just don't know but they sure did nail it. Dick's Picks producer Dick Latvala initially considered this one for release and with a single listen, you'll know why. From the epic 90-minute 16-song first set to super tight ditties from the massively popular Workingman's Dead and American Beauty albums and newly minted Europe '72 classics like "He's Gone," "Brown-Eyed Women," and "China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider," you're bound to agree. Lest we forget to mention the great sounding tapes and excellent acoustics at the Century II Convention Hall. (Oh, and as a little bonus, we've thrown in the best of the bunch from Oklahoma City 11/15/72!)

Mastered in HDCD from the original soundboard recordings produced by Owsley Stanley, with fresh artwork from Tony Millionaire (and his little dog too), and liner notes from original handbill artist and then first-time Grateful Dead concert attendee Gary Houston, this sonic adventure is one to cross off the old bucket list.

Pre-order it here while you can!

Listening Party

11/17/72, Wichita, KS

"Bird Song"

"He's Gone"

"Box Of Rain"

David Lemieux Volume 11 Seaside Chat

Product Details

A note about the cover: The Black and White cover is the only cover made for this release. The color version is the booklet cover. The Black and White version wasn't revealed till Street Date which is why the booklet color version was the only version shown at the time of Pre-order.

Yes looking back, the road runs are more than likely the culprit. Back then thou that was the norm. Now of course running isn't part of the life. Weight gain , yeah that's a drag too. But in my running days I was 160-170 believe it or not. The knees became too much to deal with by 1990, so yeah those are issues.
Ripple was fun. I just played a bit of lead through the chords as the lines are right there. Fingerpicking it was the key. My electrics are out much less than the acoustics these days.
Actually Cape Coral and Captiva was home base for the 91-05 years. I miss the beaches, but the heat is a real bear. Now in central Fla we are getting too many hi 90 days. It's been a cruel summer!
But I will add, even off road, the impact is the problem. I worked within the medical field and some of the MDs would complain about the impact damage. I just toss it out cause when your young, the future and your middle age years seem like a drewm. That's all, every word meant in kindness and hopes you all can avoid the pain.
Hope the weekend brings plrenty of smiles. We are gonna be hot and wet.

If I may speak for Kate, I really think the secret to being a life-long runner is staying of the pavement and keeping the weight off. I'm sorry that you're unable to do the miles, but I know you've got something that's just as vital - Ripple in your arsenal. I'm curious how you'd do that solo, you know, the melody line and the chords simultaneously. Which one(s) have you learned since?
I know a bunch - mostly earlier stuff, most of Amer. Beauty/Workingman's, Skull & Rosas, Europe '72, Ace and Jerry's 1st solo record, 1/2 Step, Row Jimmy, Stella,Eyes, HCS, Ship & China Doll are cool, Scarlet B's, etc. I was in Nashville recently at the relocated Gruhn's, and, of course, saw some choice axes - I actually had my paws on a '58 Standard - they brought me a towel to wipe away the drool! What a nice weight it had. And the action ... well, no words. My '56 Gold Top was unceremoniously removed from my premises years ago, so I'm always looking, always looking. I'd like a choice acoustic, too, but what I've got is good.
On another note, whenever I see a post of yours it makes me think about my days long ago that I used to spend in either Coral Gables or Cape Coral - I just love me some Florida! Bet it's warm about now though, eh?, said the snowbird.

But Hello Kate,
I will share this......... In the 1980's I was a huge runner. Did every 10k, half marathon , and full marathon that came my way here in Central Fla. I spent very good money on the best shoes and gear. Today both knees, both hips, even ankles are fried. On cold rainy days I creak like a vintage door hinge. And the pain, whoa......it's bad.
So all I'm trying to say is do everything you can to prevent the lasting wear and tear I and several folks are now plaqued with. Ain't nothing sexy about a cane.
Enjoy!

Trust me, after surgery on my AT, I'm an anatomical wizard when it comes to the region...the soleus and the gastrocnemius are virtually indistinguishable and from whence both mine and Achilles' greatest weakness attach en route south to the calcaneus. I spent considerable time in the orthopaedic surgeon's office pondering a plastic replica of my faulty underpinnings!

I think the single greatest faculty required for sustained mileage is the capacity to distinguish pain's often cryptic message. I've found that an overwhelming majority of my body's distress signals denote only minor issues that can be run through, require a temporary change of gait or pace, or - at most - merit "active rest" through decreased intensity and/or less punishing terrain (i.e., usually by eliminating climbs for a day or two).

In 1 or 2 instances out of 100 routine aches and pains, the message is far more urgent; like the stabbing sensation in my left AT during the first steps of my final long run in Feb. 2013 prior to taper for my first scheduled 100 miler. I knew it was different, but after 12 months of heavy training felt invincible and ran through it...and the rest is history. Ah well, sounds like you were smart enough to take sufficient proactive measures to ensure a short cycle! Here's to the trail! Thanks for checking in/peace, K

I know what you're talking about when you say it was "only" 86, but the "barbaric" humidity was ...
It's the dew point that's the killer (dew point to be intimated as "hello, Newman"). If the dew point reaches 75% or above (what?), it's gonna be a sucky run. And speaking of sucky runs, a week and a half ago I pulled up lame - fortunately, my medicine was only two miles - with a new one. Have you heard of the soleus muscle? I thought I'd lay low for a couple/few, but they stretched into a week before I was able to carefully finish three miles. Two days later, pain free. Today, I put in muchos hills just to make sure, and now I'm a happy camper. We're going down to the sixties tonight/tomorrow AM, so it's gonna be a sublime trip through rusky dusky!
As far as the flies go, they don't like me - it's the godawful spiders and their webs!!! Eew!
Hey, tomorrow is the year anni for the Eleven!!! Be sure to put on something that does it for you and twirl a bit.
Paz sea contigo,
KCK aka Ddct'd

...the Winged Monkeys know that I'm of Gayelette's bloodline and, therefore, to be feared! It's odd, but the air temp never eclipsed 86F while running, yet the barbaric humidity was an affliction of Dantean proportions...and apparently I was traversing a steam-baked underworld plane in which vampiric horse and deer flies constitute the majority fauna. Evil little bastards! :O

A rather dull Friday night; however, due to forecast high heat tomorrow, I've vowed to get myself and Scooby-doo out the door and into the mountains early tomorrow a.m. for Saturday's long run - if we can hit the trailhead by 7, we'll be back around 11.

The opening salvo of negative posts attendant to a new release has become de rigueur; in fact, it would seem strange if the latest installment didn't go through the now-established hazing ritual. Ultimately, the process seems to work in Dave's favour as the rally of majority moderates seems to buoy general moral and optimism...which doesn't mean there won't be kickback in the absence of greater selection diversity. I subscribed again this year anticipating truly unprecedented things; though next year, for the first time since it's inception, I'll be previewing each new DaP a la carte.

During this period of acute financial pressure among Headz due to purchase of The 30, it may be impolitic of me to even suggest the following, but if you're looking to explore some new and wildly diverse musical terrain, check out BOMP records should you not be already familiar.

I first encountered BOMP through ebay late last year when I was vacuuming up the Dead Boys' (rather small and somewhat poorly recorded) catalogue. A few months ago I then purchased a bundle of Left Lane Cruiser CDs for a remarkable price (note: if you've never heard of LLC, then strap in and hold tight - it's a seductively biohazardous combination of Napalm, Blues, Serrated Bowie knives, Hill Country RocknRoll, Open Flames, and FuzzyFeedbackyFire'n'Brimstone!).

Tonight I opened itunz in another window and began sampling the wide variety of previously unheard of bands from BOMP's "Garage Punks Unknown" series....holy cow, I've really been turned on to some diverse arcana from the annals of rock history, especially with discovery of The Jolly Beggars and Dirt Merchants!

Happy Hunting...now to bed...think of me serving as a slow-moving, B+ blood buffet for the flies of Appalachia when you sit down to breakfast tomorrow morning/ peace, K

I do have a riddle as well. Sent to bolo24 and some of my friends a few months ago.. To continue the fun I included a prize, however nobody has gotten it correct.

-Thank you again Kind Bolo! Just curious is your name an Anagram for Lobo ? After you started your game last week I made my own trivia/riddle game (Non-Grateful Dead related) with friends. I even included my ex-girlfriend and she pointed out that your name Bolo in Portuguese (she is Brazilian) translates into Cake. Which completely slipped my mind because I love bolo (cake). When I told her your name she chuckled and it brought me a chuckle also. Thank You again Bolo24

All of my friends are stopped in their tracks. Are you Kind Bolo, able to solve this riddle? Or Should I call you Lobo?

Okay, let me try my hand at prognostication: This morning, I stopped by the gas station to Fillmore fuel in my tank to prep for a Summer tour of the East coast, which I dearly hope matches the splendor of last year's West coast Fall trip that became something of a Winterland fantasy as a result of unexpected early season cold, rain, and snow.

Also, I hit a few shows featuring extended family like Bruce and Branford at which I saw my old friend Bertha stageside during a first set opener, though these performances paled in comparison to the barn burner put on by my Uncle John's Band at the family reunion I attended on a sidetrip through the Midwest.

As 2016 approaches, I think back to some of the memorable presidential elections in which I've participated, including Tricky Dick's runs of 68 and 72, in addition to the Undecided Voter ballot in 76 and the dawn of GOP relevance with Reagan's landmark victory in 80 - and, lest we forget, the whole "bear in the woods" re-up campaign of 84 that, quite honestly, was all Greek to me.

While the pundits have beaten the 77 disco era like a dead horse, on a cool spring evening when feeling my oats, I can still envision a Swing to the local Auditorium for some Dancin' that - on a rowdy night - might just spill into the Streets...though, as usual when contemplating that fateful year of Elvis' death and Gilmore's execution, my thoughts are never far from the relatively staid country life of Aunty and Uncle Evans in their little Field House deep amongst the DeKalb cornfields.

Finally, cousin Althea reports from her vantage in Anchorage's famed Franklin's Tower that the northern lights haven't shone with such brilliance for 35 years - most likely the result of carbon emissions carried west by the jet stream pursuant to China's determined effort to bring a new coal burning power plant online every 20 minutes.

P.S.: As always, don't forget Gainesville!

P.P.S.: As an insider, you can trust me when I say that - like Prego - DaP 15 is in there somewhere!

...having read the latest round of posts over on #14, this continuing bromance between the boys and Bolo is pretty amusing. I started a log of supposed clues a couple releases back, but after review, I find they're much like the generalized statements of a self-professed medium before a predisposed audience, which can be loosely extrapolated to contemplate a patently nonspecific universe of GD shows. Still, it's benign fun and plays to the natural sense of anticipation that accompanies each new DaP installment./p, K

Wow! UD really be rubbing salt in my penurious wounds with that purchase inventory had the internal truce between my spending profligacy and common sense not already crashed harder than last week's Shanghai Exchange.

True to my al dente resolve, and after listening to some positively monstrous jams from PLF with Trey & Kimock circa Spring 99 as well as revisitation of ABB FE 71, I realized that I am an improvisational junkie of the Masonic Worshipful Master rank: a 34 minute Viola Lee?; a 12.5 minute Cozmic Charlie?; a 25 minute UJB?; a 14 minute stand alone Rider?; a 19.5 minute Shakedown?; a 15 minute NFA?; a 23 minute Whipping Post?; a 44 minute Mountain Jam?...these are a few of my favourite things!

Sooooo, I caved. Kevin, though u & I discussed the final ABB Beacon show - which I already had on CDR from a trader at one of the ABB fan sites, Sat. evening I went ahead and purchased the official box release of all 6 shows from the last Beacon run here (and it shipped this morning! WOOT!):

Thus, add another $150 to the $700 already committed for 30 Trips and I've not only NOT saved $$ or slowed my musical purchases, but actually set a new highwater mark for a 6 week period! Lovely. Incidentally, what's mine is yours...I can do a USB stick or CDs (I don't have a paid MediaFire or Dropbox account that would allow online transfer).

Arrg. Here I've written War&Peace without even addressing Von Karajan! You, sir, and I shall have that discussion in the very near future!/ peace to you Ke, faithfully Ka

P.S.: Just a routine, weekday, maintenance 6 mile run this afternoon, but even so, a juvenile black bear crossed the trail about 30 yards ahead of me not half a mile from the visitor's center/trail head! Yeah, gonna stay...incidentally, there's a subplot to the whole recent relocation question: I've been seeing a doctor my age who's been working Appalachia in an outreach program just out of med school back east. His time's up, and he's asked me to join him in Boston (my hometown). Conversely, I suggested he relocate here, as we're in dire need of MDs. At this point, it appears to be a staunch and bilateral "No Go". Ah well, enough sharing./peace redux, K

I live on a mountainside above a small town and now host near-daily visits from turkey, dozens of rabbits, fox, and deer - the latter of which no longer flinch as I pull up in the driveway or exit the back door, even though they stand as close as 10 yards away.
Moreover, my protective terrier now merely sits on the back deck in seemingly unnatural disregard for their presence - and they his. Weird.

I run 5-6 days a week in local state and national parks, which have also seen a proliferation of strange and/or daunting inhabitants like scorpions, black panthers (yup - caught on numerous trail cameras; think I don't wear a cowbell when I run the backwoods?!), cougars, mountain lions, and bears galore.

In fact, I've got a big black bear who makes a weekly visit incident to trash day when the bins are full (at least, I think it's the same one)...and our local coroner, who lives down the road, reported encountering a coyote pack headed up the middle of the street (from town) towards the woods (further uphill past my house) at 2 a.m. one night after he was coming home from an official call.

Most of my old friends and law school cohorts work in the Boston-DC corridor, but could I really leave my mountain menagerie for a congested concrete jungle? Not now, at least./peace, K

Receipts from Amazon, ebay, discogs, itunes, and BOMP records for the first 5 months of 2015 reflect about $1500 spent on music...however, after ordering 30 Trips at the turn of June, I've now gone longer (6 weeks) without ordering music than at any time in the memorable past; and with each passing day, resistance becomes less of a challenge.

Admittedly it's been a dry spell for new releases that pique my interest, but I plan to stay the course through 9/18 and beyond as long as possible. The arrival of #15 and then 30 trips should blunt any recidivistic tendencies, but perhaps the greatest rehabilitative resource has been the discovery of oodles of free, downloadable SBDs of Phil/Friendz shows on the Ark. Check out the 4/15-17/99 run: The assemblage of a true Super Group whose phenomenal, extended, improvisational play takes me places only my favourite Dead shows can./peace, K

It occurred to me that 30 Trips will be the most unboxy box in my collection, which is organized by year and, thereby, divided w/ those white 5x7" plastic cards. Whereas all other boxed releases are sequential or at least temporal companions, the 30 will be scattered across 3 decades lining 4 shelves after each has been pulled for its maiden listening (which I've determined to do in progressive chronological order). The inventory had me at the 74 & 78 shows (which are 2 perennial top 10s for me), but continued reading in DB the 3 TC volumes has really heightened my appreciation for DP's selection process./peace, K

Kevin, Sunday evening was a spectacular conundrum of alternatives, though really, in the end, soccer owned my undivided attention - but, I did join our local chatroom, among others, after the concluding whistle in time to count down the FTW finale set break.

There's so much to talk about! I'm repentant in the wake of a snarky 50th Thread, pre-concert post; why are Headz apologetic in their enthusiasm for post-Jerry incarnations of the band?; does irrational loyalty to JG inhibit recognition of subsequent interpretive performances or influenced artists?; is harsh criticism of Trey and the entire FTW endeavor a sacrilege of deification that would have abhorred Jerry?; are Headz really so historically bereft as to think that Trey had to "learn" the Dead's catalogue?...and the corollary question, which ties directly to earlier points: are so many unfamiliar with his superlative work while performing with Phil & Friends - especially April 1999 - that he was perceived as a novice ringer?

Answers pending. For now, bed. It's late and the pool demands an early sacrifice. peace/K

Post Script: Ah, yes...and the sublime joys of the Von Karajan '38-'60 box...indeed, there is much to discuss among old friends!/K

...is the nature of concluding WC matches, especially when our magnificent women are in play, as the quadrennial wait can be interminable only to see tournament month streak by with all the patience of Weir during a 1st set Trey solo (and, honestly, thank God (or Phish) for the loaner thus far during the band's valedictory run).

I'm a bit hoarse after a smashing victory on the Montreal pitch this evening; while protracted sport seasons offer a margin for setbacks and recovery, I think that consistently ascendant performance is the key to success in the compressed context of tournament play. Hopefully the USWNT's final game will be the futbol equivalent of the June Winterland stand to the Dead's 77 Spring Tour!/peace, K

You were within 20 yards of a brown bear? I'm not an outdoorsman, but, having read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, I find that terrifying. Lucky for you, you literally travel with all the bells and whistles you need to survive in the wilderness.

Thrilled to see the Dijon show included in the big box, I first heard about it from you. I don't remember your recommendation for 5-14-78 but look forward to hearing it this Fall.

With the Dead in tow. And a ham sandwich. Ham soaked in a honey Dijon glaze. I made it myself with a recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook. I was on my way to another twenty mile ride when my damn rear derailleur shifter cable snapped. Arghh! Another day I'll make it 29 miles...Hot today close to 90.

Saw some type of weasel waddle away as I was taking a break somewhere on the Ridge trail. Came upon a finch's nest with all sorts of baby finches trying to fly away I came up so fast. All that was left was me and one baby finch and we had some beer together. That thing was freaked for a while; I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera this time because it was pretty in the sun.

Anyway, the cable broke so I walked back the six miles to the car. Lucky for me, I had half my sandwich, a can of water and some potato chips left over to try and enjoy once I was about close to the parking lot. The deerflies had other ideas...that's why I ate and drank fast and scooted (my bike now a makeshift scooter) on up to the lot.

Bike is on it's way to healing and more rides are planned. In the meantime, I don't let it (or much anything else!) get me down...

Irrational, but I feel a sense of almost desperate disappointment in our community after reading the main boards over the last week since my return. Somehow I thought we could transcend class warfare, internecine arguments over eras, petty empire building around subjective taste, and personal insecurity over financial underachievement.

Certainly the influx of new and transient participants attendant solely to the commercialization of Year 50 hasn't helped; yet even so, within this crowd there are a number of constructive contributors and the 'usual suspects' amongst our regulars are barely distinguishable from their more recent counterparts.

I've been doing a great deal of sampling, note taking, and reading (DBase, TCompendium, Archive.org reviews, and private web blogs) with respect to the 30 shows, pursuant to which my esteem for the selection process is nothing short of awe. Yet, I see little profit to initiating public discourse. Perhaps in year 51.

WTJ, BRSF looks like a gr8 resource AND I note from the homepage that y'all are to receive a transplant herd of our KY elk! Likely from the eastern mts as their prolific expansion has led to nuisance for farmers (if they liked pot they'd already be extinct hereabouts!) and heightened peril along challenging high elevation roadways due to their relatively greater bulk and slower reaction versus deer.

Saturday I dispensed with consideration for mileage and simply established a goal of 4 hours running so that I could begin reacclimating myself with pacing, hydration, and nutrition over increasingly longer distance. This was fortuitous, as it married nicely with my selection of Download Series #7 (3:59!) comprising a full show and 2nd set from 9/3,4/80, respectively.

On a general note, I've found this a brilliant set of releases with no apparent weak spots, though it's attracted relatively little attention and - as I recall - recurrent bouts of vague criticisms that are entirely unhelpful for understanding these uniformly strong shows that so nicely fill holes in the longitudinal catalogue, or complement already existing releases from premium tours/years (i.e., early and mid '70; late '71; Fall '73; and early '68).

As far as #7 is concerned, though the timbre of Jerry's guitar and Brent's occasional use of bright, harpsichordy keys are clear indicia of the era, the energy and technical play are far more analogous to 77 and 78...right from the beginning this is a 'Jerry show' - you know the ones, like Barton and my beloved 5/14/78, where his omnipotent play flirts with "wow factor"-vigor in & around the other band members and well-familiar songs so that the former are elevated and the latter reveal new - or simply forgotten - joys.

JG grinds into Merle's "Mama Tried" after an amazing and near-evenly split 19-minute MS 1/2 Step/Franklins debut that requires no warm-up whatsoever. Like our beloved Eleven (DaP), the show's brilliance is underscored by remarkable renditions of otherwise pedestrian 1st set staples; and in #7, I can do no better than point you to the one song you'd be most likely to overlook while canvassing this show for its strength: Mexicali Blues. Yup. A Bobby cowboy tunezzzzzz. If nothing else, forward to 2:11 and prepare for about 90 seconds of uniquely extended interpretation by JG.

A short, but fantastic, organic jam springs from the smouldering ashes of "Saint" that closes with JG's opening tease of "He's Gone", which is headed off by percussion into a 16-minute Drumz>Rhythm Devils>Space interlude - that keeps moving and stays within the universe of at least moderate artistic interest - before resurrecting an 18-minute, '72-esque brace of HG & Truckin'.

Importantly, to me at least, Black Peter and Brokedown Palace, which even throughout the strong 70's could slow unbearably to the consistency of molasses during a Polar Vortex (mixed metaphor), remain strong, spry, and - most surprisingly - demonstrative of supple vocal work by Jerry. BP is an especially surprising delight. I'm done. 2nd set 9/4 is for your ears alone...but it continuity is strong and, at under $16, the 2 are a great addition to your late 70's collection (and really, that's just what these shows are!).

I ending up biking just over 20 miles on the Smrekar and Wildcat trail loops. The mountain bike is a little worse for the wear (20 year old Schwinn hard tail) and needs some professional help. The burgers were more than good. Bacon, green leaf lettuce and sweet onion topped stuffed burgers (egg, bread crumbs, garlic and onion seasonings) on Pretzilla buns with a sour cream, chives and sheep's milk blue cheese topping. A side of Amy's organic chili and Kettle brand Salt and Vinegar potato chips. On the beer menu: Sierra Nevada 'Torpedo', Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, and Tyranena Brewing's 'Rocky's Revenge'. Wildlife seen: several deer, birds, and plenty! of deer ticks.

I took the back roads home and arrived just as the sun set in the western sky. The sunset colors are always best after enjoying a full day in the forest. Worth mentioning is the brief stop at the Buena Vista scenic overlook where the sunset view was not only good but splendid.

Upon arriving home I slapped on 5/14/78, hopped in the shower, listened to Big River, Brown-Eyed Women and part of Let it Grow while I employed multiple tick checks and cleaned up! Then it was a little time for the tube and sweet dreams.

...to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Thanks guys...I look forward to details of your fishing expedition WJ, where to? And WTJ, we seem to share a passion - mine is religious in fervor - for disappearing into The Wild...after tearing my left Achilles in late Feb. 2013 (2 ruptures {{{shiver}}}), I've finally been able to build trail mileage back up to the 40 mile/week range, with a 15 mile Sat. long run - which affords the opportunity for encounters you'll likely appreciate: 3 Saturdays ago, puppy and I rounded the bend on a ridge trail at elevation and found ourselves 15-20 yards from a beautiful black bear (really, really close)...we all stood staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity, but prolly no more than 5 seconds, then I reached down, jingled the bear bell on my water belt, and it took off! Just amazing. Second, last week puppy disappeared off trail and, through The Bloody Hollies on headphones (quite an achievement, and an indication of her genuine distress), I hear her yipping, then saw her cross the trail at full speed chased by a doe with its head down right on her tail - must have been a fawn in proximity! They darted around with poor puppy crying in flight until I arrested the deer with my high pitched emergency whistle...it stood, looked at me, twitched its tail, and then fled when I chucked a piece of fallen wood in its general direction. Priceless. Funny, when you get back to "civilization", it's hard to believe these things actually happened!

Shoot, it's late and the pool beckons early...Was gonna talk more 'bout 30, but I'm tremendously excited by the prospect of nearly endless conversations we'll have once The Box arrives and we all begin working through it - let alone the chats spawned in anticipation (I'm predetermined to do this chronologically, as I did with E72).

It's a show I picked up on your recommendation, Kate. From my recollection it's a good show and worthy of release, no doubt. I seem to remember you were blown away by the NFA>GDTRFB. A lot of folks over at archive think the Jerry solo in LLR is the best. I have to admit, lots of times I slap my player on random play. My player is filled with primo shows, including 5/14/78, but my player is in my backpack with speakers (and other goodies) and I'm either climbing or flying down hills in the forest on my bike. So lots of time, I'm left to guessing the show and era, which is good practice for the 30 Days deal. I'm heading to the forest again tomorrow with homemade burgers and beer in tow. Shall be fun no doubt!

When the list of shows that would be in the new box was released I acquired boards of each of the dates that I didn't already have - over half of them. 5/14/78 is one of them. You've definitely piqued my interest in it as I haven't listened to it yet. I'm going on a week long fishing trip with plenty of time to relax in the evenings, so I will be queuing this one up very shortly. You singled out BEW, one of my favorite tunes. How does it compare to the 11/477 version, which as an absolute favorite of mine?

I won't be posting again for a bit - won't have Internet access till I'm on my way home from the trip. Total wilderness.

Wow! It's gr8 to see the old crew posting, at least sporadically, on The Eleven, as well as across newer threads. Back in Feb. I fled the anticlimactic unveiling of Year 50 and the subsequent silliness surrounding FTW, but, with its ineluctable gravitational pull, the Big Box drew me back for ordering and all is forgiven.

I've revisited a number of GOGD boards and absolutely no one is talking about what I consider one of the set's crown jewels: 5/14/78. Recall, on this very thread, I mentioned that only 2 shows among a cast of conventional legends (including the famed deuce from Red Rox '78) had survived regular purges of my iPod over the last 3-4 years: 5/14 and 2/26/77. While discussion of 2/26 took flight, with one wise poster denominating it a 'benchmark' performance against which the most excellent balance of all '77 shows are measured, 5/14 garnered no further press.

Much like our beloved 9/18/74 - good heavens(!!), remember our protracted exaltation of the Dijon show? (which is also included in this epic release...WOOT!!!) - 5/14 is uniformly stellar from opening note to final fading chord...and let me just say, "So you thought you knew 'Brown Eyed Women'?"...

I've missed y'all and I could write pages, but I know where to find you...so, see ya soon!

One of the single most enjoyable discs we have in our collection is the Handel Suites played on piano by Keith Jarrett. I've been listening to it quite a bit over the past several months or so and it hasn't let me down. I believe it's on the ECM label. It's an interesting juxtaposition to the Bach English or French suites or Partitas which you can't go wrong with if you find a decent recording or performance of those.

that Europe '72 was coursing through me like my very own blood and then I discovered the December '71 shows - the two probably most famous, 12/05 & 12/10. I happened on a picture-disc - a Jerry shot from the show - of 12/05 that featured all first set material. I put it on a cassette and played that sucker everywhere I went. At about the same time, I was hooked up with a Dylan/Dead disciple who had taped the 12/10 broadcast from KADI-fm to reel-to-reel. Three cassettes of absolute beauty from one Valhalla of a hall, the Fox Theatre, were made in an afternoon. (I also got the 10/24/70 show w/ NRPS). So, of course, I would learn of a run of shows that bridged the Europe - December gap, that only existed in atrocious quality, the ones from the Academy of Music in New York. Holy grails - those darned objects of desire that would never be heard in good sound beyond those hallowed walls.
Years passed. And then...and then there was Dick's Picks 30. Thank you very much. And then the Rhein bonus disc - it's got the meat from 3/22 & 3/23 - but I/we want both shows. And then on Archive are posted 3/23 and 3/21 in fabulous sound ! Wow - what was once thought lost is now found. And now 3/22 & 3/27, with 3/26 as a Dave's Pick, can and will be heard? Nothing left to do but Fall, Fall, Fall. (and Summer, of course!)

Actually, each of these has something special, but really Kovacevich find the most magic, at least for me. And, I usually prefer the older performers! I have two Kovacevich performances, one where he leads himself - which is a little faster than the older one with Colin Davis. I can't decide between them. In the Furtwangler one, he has a soloist of top calibre, unlike in that #4 I sent. Klemperer/Barenboim is interesting as the combination of Klemperer's older style and a very young Barenboim. Solomon is a unique player (I'm unfamililar with Menges his conductor). Horowitz, as usual, gets colors galore out of everything, but I don't think he gets inside the music like the others. As technical playing, it's breathtaking. And the Kempff with Van Kempen is predictably fantastic - it's the closest rival I've heard to the Kovacevich.

I don't believe I have any Charlie Rouse. Or Louis Smith. The three Monk albums I have are Brilliant Corners, Thelonious Hiself and Monk's Music, none of which have Rouse I don't think.

The only AOM concert I've heard in its entirety is 3/23. Plus I have DP30 and the RtR bonus disc. I haven't listened to 3/27 yet, but I have that one.

of an announcement - I can feel it in my bones. Wjonjd, since you've been sated Razumovsky-wise, how 'you set for op.18? Op.74 & 95? I'm going to listen to the "Harp" quartet tomorrow AM, along w/ the Leonore overtures and the op.78, 79 & 81 pno sntas. In addition to the two op.70 piano trios, I listened to Kempff/BPO/Leitner murder Pno Cto no.5 in all its remastered glory this AM. Of the versions I own, this one stands very tall - my fave middle movement (partnered w/ the Rondo Allegro finale) is on the Immortal Beloved soundtrack. Only thing is, it's first movement-less! Oh, no!
Hey!!! Am I alone in feeling Gratefully giddy about 3/22, 3/26 & 3/27/72 and how two can actually be heard in something other than less than mediocre sound, with 3/26 nearing readiness to be placed in the post? Llama al bombero!!!
ATM, Louis Smith "Smithville" - Blue Note Connoisseur Series, purchased 5/14/08. Recorded 3/30/58. Mastered in 24-bit by Ron McMaster. RVG did the original engineering - he's 91 years young - in Hackensack, NJ. Accompanying Mr. Smith are Charlie Rouse (you know, the Monk guy), Sonny Clark (best professional amateur), P.C. aka Paul Chambers (think Miles from the '50's 'til Carter took over) and Art Taylor (he's not Blakey, Clarke, P.J.Jones, Cobb, Roach, Williams or Haynes) BUT he's awful darn good!
Speaking of giddy, if the news we're 'bout to receive has anything in common with that initial flash from a few years ago about a certain crate I just took down off the shelf I'll be really, really, REALLY surprised! Bring it, oh, modern-day prankster of distinction. 'nuff.

i've been spending some time with some recently acquired rasumovsky quartets performed by the Lindsays. Great middle period go for broke stuff. It's amazing what hearing these by other performers is like after only hearing one version (early Tokyo qt.). They've come to life with a vibrancy they didn't have before.

Never enough time to listen to the heart's content. I've even more recently aquired some very tasty looking morsels which I will post about after I get a chance to savor. Where to start? Where to start? Kid in a candy store :)

S: I didn't. (pregnant pause) THAT was Mozart ... the little despicable varmint! (or some such)

Patron saint of all mediocrities, indeed.

And speaking of varmints, Punxsutawney Phil prognosticated six more weeks of Winter and I will be forced to endure more Hayden. I've still got some sonatas, the op.64 & 76 quartets, the London symphs, the Seasons and the Creation - Beethoven will have to wait. Just listened to MA Hamelin's piano concertos disc and found it revelatory (if I may use a word oft used by Kate). Great sound/balance(Hyperion), nice chamber orch support, and tremendous piano playing. I didn't know Haydn rocked piano concertos!

Finished 12/12 - ex! - and started 12/15 (I'd all-but forgotten about that one!). Last night, before the sposa and I ventured through the tundra and got a bite to eat, I lopped my head with 2/27/69 - I pronounce the box and my head dusted. (Can the late Jan, Avalon shows be too far in the offing?)

I'm glad you liked it. I loved the ending - he takes Pépinot out of the system and raises him himself.

And I also hope Kate will return - she said she would at some point. She writes so well, and comes up with the most interesting things to say and such clever ways to say them - a real pleasure to read. Something to look forward to :)

As far as a comparison of the core to the trad core, I must claim ignorance. These are the only set I have and though I've listened to Idomeneo and Serail a handful of times, I have yet to really dig into the lebretti and become a student of all of them. All good things in all good time, eh? Do you ever watch Amadeus? One of my absolute fave movies of all time!!!

In listening to the Winterland 12/11/72, I rediscovered (I believe) the first time in Half Step where Jerry plays a lead before the Acrooooss the Rio Grande-o, acroooss the lazy river refrain. Of course! Also, enjoyed the absolute elsewhere in Dark Star with a Stella chaser. The DS reminded me somehow of Miles "On the Corner" record - the Stella beautiful, just beautiful. "Bout ready to start 12/12 and then, of course, the marathon 12/31 - New Riders included!

I have Idomeneo and La Clemenza di Tito by Gardiner and they are excellent. Do you know how the core operas compare to traditional performances?

I have a lot of versions of Figaro (Klemperer, Furtwangler in german, Giulini, Erich Kleiber, Vittorio Gui, Solti). Don Giovanni I have 3(!) versions by Furtwangler, 2 by Klemperer and Giulini. For Cosi I have Klemperer and Bohm. And for the Magic Flute I have 3 by Furtwangler, Klemperer, Ostman (period instruments), and Beecham.

So, except for Magic Flute, I don't have any period instrument performances of the core. But, I have so many to enjoy - this is the reason I'm focusing on stuff I don't have at all!

How critical are the Gardiner versions? If nothing I else, I would consider getting Figaro - you can NEVER have too many of those.

Upon return to the biblioteca to return my Rach/Ives cache, I was going to just head out to do anothe errand but instead decided to take another pass through the classical section. Score! I've seen Gardiner's Mozart operas recently released as a box for a song on Amazon and was thinking of purchasing. I've needed just Cosi and La Clemenza di Tito so it probably wasn't going to happen, but there it was! It was in the mid-30's yesterday, too, so I thought I'd go for a run - btw, I hope Kate didn't have a run in with a bear or something - while listening to 12/11/72 en route. 12/10/72 is very good, but 12/11 steps it up somewhat - there's a Dark Star on the horizon. Man, I sure wish Dave's 13 could arrive in March - next year there's going to be a science to listening to all the AOM shows, etc.

Also, diggin' into 2/21 & 2/22/69; next weekend the FW box will get a good dusting!

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